First, let me state that I don't think FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos will win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. However, I found it interesting that Castellanos is among some notable players with odds to win the award.
According to FanDuel, Castellanos lists as +6000 to win the Heisman, which means if you bet $100, you'd win $6,000 if the bet won. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (+850), Texas's Arch Manning (+900), and Clemson's Cade Klubnik (+2000) have the best odds.
Other notables are Jeremiah Smith (+1200), Drew Allar (+1800), Carson Beck (+2000), DJ Lagway (+2000), and Ty Simpson (+5000).
The winner of the award usually goes to the guy having an outstanding individual season on a team that's in contention to at least win eight or more games.
Nussmeier had prolific passing numbers but offered nothing in the running game. Manning is largely unproven after playing limited reps in 2024. Klubnik had the best numbers combined from a passing and rushing aspect. Clemson is among the favorites to win the ACC in 2025 and they have some talent surrounding Klubnik.
Oddsmakers still have not released projected win totals for FSU in 2025. I projected they'd be around 7.5 a few weeks ago. Castellanos is a former 1,000-yard rusher and passed for 2,248 yards in 2023. He scored 13 rushing touchdowns and passed for 15 with 14 interceptions.
The last quarterback to win the Heisman was dual-threat Jayden Daniels, who rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He passed for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with four interceptions.
It's no secret the weakest part of Castellanos's game is his passing. He showed some improvements in that area last year, improving his completion percentage and throwing 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
If Castellanos continues to evolve as a passer, it'll help Gus Malzahn's offense tremendously in 2025. Malzahn is known for establishing a running game, and teams will load up the box to defend it.
If Castellanos can force teams to respect the pass, we'll likely see much better production from him and the FSU offense. If that's the case and the FSU defense improves, and I beleive it will, there's no reason FSU can't win 8+ games in 2025.